


Beneath The Stars

by radiantanor



Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, First Meeting, One Shot, but supposed to be a prequel to an AU, in which Elwe and Melian return sooner
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2019-09-20 07:17:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17018193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/radiantanor/pseuds/radiantanor
Summary: When Elwë notices something strange in the forest, he has to find out what it is for the sake of his people's security - he just hasn't expected that anything could get him to forget that reason for a while.





	Beneath The Stars

A long time ago at Cuiviénen, before he had seen so many friends taken by the Enemy-In-The-Dark, Elwë would not have noticed anything out of the ordinary. Even now, there must be some less observant Elves who in his place would have decided that all of it - the glimpses of light, seemingly coming from nowhere, the echo of some song, disappearing when you focused on it - was just a mistake of the mind. Fortunately, Elwë knows better than to ignore something like that.

They were supposed to be safe now, he thinks. For now, there is nothing around him but the forest and the singing of a myriad nightingales. No sign of imminent danger, but also no backup nearby, seeing as he had been returning alone from his visit to the Tatyar and trying to enjoy a bit of solitude. Oromë the Hunter is somewhere with Ingwë's host, too far away to be any help now... and too far away to be summoned quickly if whatever occupied this forest were to approach their camp.

 

Whatever it is, at least it does not seem evil. In fact, something about it reminds him of Valinor. He even notices some plants from there, which should not be growing in a constantly dark Star Forest such as this. But that is no guarantee, considering the reports about people having disappeared when trying to approach strangers who had looked like fellow Quendi, or even responding to cries for help. Some servants of Melkor, as the Valar call him, could be around still. Yet Elwë needs to have some idea of what this is, or risk having it come to the camp with no forewarning. It would only be a brief scouting mission. And in the worst case scenario, Olwë could take on the leadership of their people. He moves onward.

 

He does not notice as his conviction to only have a quick look disappears, dispelled by the first notes of song. No, a Song, he corrects himself, and yet that does not seem like a reason to turn back at this point, either.

Its source is a Maia, of course - he has seen many before, but never as interesting as this one. Unlike the Maiar in Valinor, who had been doing their best to keep the three Elves comfortable and not creeped-out, she has not taken an entirely Elvish shape. Her black hair flows down her back and spreads across the meadow, becoming an actual shadow when it touches the ground, and yet young plants spring up where it falls. The lady is wearing an approximation of a dress, plain white and almost transparent, though there appears to be no visible body beneath it but rather the forest behind her. And on the trees above, a choir of countless nightingales is joining their voices with hers to create that Song. At last, she turns around, and her face -

He stumbles forward, stretching out a hand. A moment passes, then another hand, perfect and very recently shaped, grasps his.

 

~~~

 

The Elf who calls himself Elwë is fascinating, and she does not think that her lack of meetings with the Creator's Children is the sole reason for that. Melian likes how the corners of his lips move upwards when she lets him know that thought, too. The movements of his physical body are reflecting his mood much more accurately than she is used to with her fellow Ainur.

'Show me more of yourself', she thinks, doing her best to mimic his expression. She can not be sure if it has worked as intended - he seems slightly bemused - but he does open his mind to her.

Melian is intrigued by the patterns of his thought, the strange depth of the connection between mind and body, the ever-so-slightly different way the Treelight is reflected in his eyes. She does not abuse the trust he has put in her and merely looks at the thoughts he is willing to show her, of course. A starlit sky, its reflection upon a magnificent lake surrounded by Star Forests and a rising number of people filled with amazement at everything they see, the first friendships and loves, singing, laughing, exploring. In return, she shows him images of the world as she first beheld it, the delight she felt when the Ainur began to shape it.

He trusts her with the unhappy memories as well; the shadows and terrors in the Dark, hunting monsters and being hunted in turn, his friends being captured or slain.

She responds with a memory of the War, the victory of the Valar and the imprisonment of Melkor. Elwë shudders slightly, but before she can wonder which part of it may have been too much for him and try to take it back, he gives her a thought full of gratitude and respect. His mind is a startling mix of old fear and rapidly fading discomfort, awe and thankfulness and joy. There is also a little bit of something else yet unnamed but familiar, perhaps similar to what she feels for her kin and for the Creation, but directed at her. She could stand in that meadow with him for many more years to come. After all, what reason is there to hurry?

 

Elwë had not seemed in a hurry either, yet now she sees more and more memories of his family, his friends, his people. A new question appears. 'Tell me, what were you doing before you met me?'

"We are trying to reach Valinor. I have been there once before, with Finwë and Ingwë, and - well, you know what it's like better than I could describe, the Light and everything. My people will be safe and happy there. Some of them were not convinced though, and sometimes I got quite annoyed with the constant arguments and the wandering off, but I still want them to have that."

He says it out loud, still smiling in a slightly dazed way. Melian does not feel like smiling back anymore. Elwë loves his Teleri, she has known that for a while now, and yet has failed to draw any connections to the fact that he has not been among them for a while now. She does not actually know how the other Quendi would perceive that stretch of time, but she doubts it constitutes a normal absence.  
Has she actually kept him from everything else that gave his life meaning, stopped him from continuing upon his chosen path? Inadvertently put her will over his, the way one of Melkor's minions might have?

She does not feel fear, exactly, yet there is some trepidation about what he might have to say about that in the future. There is nothing else to be done, though. Melian takes a deep breath in a rather Elvish way. Then she gathers up everything of herself, withdraws her Song from their surroundings and finally from his mind as best she can.

 

Elwë looks around for a moment and then back at her. "So, erm, how long were we standing here?"

Of course, he couldn't have missed how much taller the trees have grown. Just as she is about to respond, he starts talking again, strangely quickly:  
"And also how? I mean, I didn't eat or drink anything, so were you keeping me alive with your Maia magic? Or whatever you call it, my lady, I hope the term is not offensive. And, um, I can't help but notice you look different, and I wanted to say you don't have to change anything about yourself on my behalf, in case that's why you did it..."

Her shape is indeed closer to an Elvish body than ever before; she had thought once that it might feel like a constraint, but it is no issue at all when it is meant to help him. However, she is not sure how to explain her reasons best, so she decides to focus on the important thing.

"Do not worry - what you said was not offensive, for I am now aware of the true meaning behind any of your words. I have chosen this appearance for the eyes of your people, to whom you must return. With your permission, I would like to accompany you."

 

Elwë smiles.


End file.
